Podcast BBC. Health check

As mpox cases rise in Sierra Leone, we check-in with Professor Trudie Lang to understand the implications of the continuing spread of the disease and what progress is being made in responding to the outbreak. In a breakthrough for HIV research, scientists have used mRNA to reveal the virus hiding in white blood cells. For now, it is only in a laboratory setting, but they hope this could lead to future treatment pathways that clear HIV from the body. Also on the show we take a look at healthy ageing; from the role of power in living longer, to reducing the risk of dementia in younger generations, and even the influence of daily cups of coffee on our health as we get older. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Katie Tomsett and Louise Orchard Studio Managers: Dyfan Rose and Sue Maillot

A new immunotherapy regime has shown significant improvements in treatment for head and neck cancer. Meanwhile, exercise is boosting outcomes for colon cancer patients. BBC journalist Philippa Roxby explains what?s been shown in these studies. Aflatoxins are a toxin produced by a fungi which can be found in crops. They?re having a severe impact on harvests and health including immune suppression, growth stunting and damage to the liver. The BBC?s Sophie Ormiston reports on what?s being done to tackle the problem. Ultra-processed foods are increasingly seen as bad for us and self-reporting our diets can be very inaccurate. But now, a new urine test has found a way to accurately show how much of these kinds of foods we consume. Finally, can an e-tattoo placed on the forehead effectively monitor stress and concentration? And how might such a device be used? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins and Louise Orchard

Women with dense breasts are four times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with low breast density and it’s also harder for cancer to be detected with existing screening methods. But now, the findings in a new study could dramatically improve the chances of having the disease spotted early on. We speak to the study’s lead author is Professor Fiona Gilbert to find out more. The 2025 World Health Assembly has just concluded, Devex Correspondent Andrew Green was there and tells us what the main takeaways were. Dr Cecilia Kanyama and Professor Thomas Harrison share their decades-long effort to improve treatment options for cryptococcal meningitis. The refined treatment regimen, discovered alongside Joe Jarvis and their team, gives hope to the hundreds of thousands of HIV-positive patients who are diagnosed with this fungal infection each year. Finally, researchers have developed contact lenses that enable to wearer to see near-infrared light. How do they work and what could they be useful for? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Hannah Robins & Louise Orchard Studio Managers: Mike Mallen & Andrew Garratt

A new anti-malarial compound has been designed to target disease-causing parasites responsible for up to 90% of malaria cases in humans. Stephanie Tam reports on a new online training programme designed to help address the mental health care gap in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that is heavily impacted by conflict. Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at lowering the price the US pays for medicines. We look at what is included in the order, why drug prices vary around the world, and what impact this motion could have on US and global prices paid for medicines. Dr Cecilia Kanyama and Professor Thomas Harrison share their decades-long effort to improve treatment options for cryptococcal meningitis. The refined treatment regimen, discovered alongside Joe Jarvis and their team, gives hope to the hundreds of thousands of HIV-positive patients who are diagnosed with this fungal infection each year. Finally, ‘scorpionism’ - or the medical condition caused by a scorpion sting, is rapidly on the rise in Brazil, we look at what is driving this increasing health threat. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Hannah Robins & Katie Tomsett Studio Managers: Gavin Wong & Steve Greenwood

Claudia is joined by Caroline Williams to learn about the cutting-edge science of interoception – that’s how the brain interprets signals that come from inside our body. We find out how honing this skill can sometimes be helpful and why at other times it can have a negative impact on us. Tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide but in Malawi a stage 3 trial is under way to develop a new vaccine. Our reporter Carrim Mpaweni checks-in on the trial’s progress. Also on the show, Claudia speaks to psychotherapist Sophie Scott about how to persuade a loved one to get professional help when they don't want to. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Katie Tomsett & Helena Selby Studio Manager: Giles Aspen

Receiving a specific type of shingles vaccine may provide a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events like stroke or heart failure for up to 8 years. With reports of other shingles vaccines protecting against the risk of dementia, scientists are trying to understand the mechanism underlying these unintended benefits. The WHO aim to eliminate the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis from endemic countries by 2030, we investigate what might be standing in the way of this goal. After 18 years and over 200 snake bites, key protective compounds have been identified in Tim Friede’s blood with the potential to make a snake antivenom with “unparalleled” protection. Also on the show, a trial led by Professors Adalsteinn Gunnlaugsson and Per Nilsson has shown that a prostate cancer treatment regimen that takes two-and-a-half weeks is as safe and effective as longer 8-week courses, ten years on from treatment. Plus, if you have celiac disease should you be worried about kissing someone who has just eaten gluten? A new study looks at how much gluten is exchanged in a kiss. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett Researcher: Tabby Taylor Buck Studio Managers: Cath McGee and Sarah Hockley

Amidst conflict in Sudan, the world-leading Mycetoma Research Centre in Khartoum has been destroyed. We talk to the centre’s founder to find out what this means for research into the neglected disease and the struggle to proving ongoing support for patients. As the Pan American Health Organization put into action lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic they share with us new telehealth services designed to reach the most remote communities across the Americas. Also on the show, a reversible and non-hormonal male contraception implant has proven effective in trials lasting two years. Plus, how does the body respond when switching from a Tanzanian heritage diet to a more processed diet? And can gradual exposure to peanuts desensitize adults with severe peanut allergies? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett Studio Managers: Emma Harth and Dyfan Rose

After 3 years of discussions, 194 member countries of the World Health Organisation have agreed to the text of a pandemic treaty designed to make the world safer from a future pandemic – but what could it mean in practice and how are countries held to account? Also on the show, how treating high blood pressure can reduce the risk of dementia. Researchers have suggested it takes more than just medication; lifestyle changes are also key to lowering the risk. We learn how Oropouche is underdiagnosed across the Americas and the impact climate has on the spread of this insect-borne virus. Plus, a new weight loss pill has been found to reduce weight and blood sugar levels in its latest trial. Has an anecdote you read online or heard from a friend ever changed how you feel about the medical choices you make? We hear about the power of anecdotes, especially negative ones, when making a decision for your own health. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Katie Tomsett & Hannah Robins Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Co-ordinator: Josie Hardy (Image:Co-chair of the negotiations and French ambassador for Global Health Anne-Claire Amprou (L) and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus after a consensus on the Pandemic Agreement at the WHO headquarters. Credit: CHRISTOPHER BLACK/World Health Organization/AFP via Getty Images)

Has the long-standing mystery of which wild animals form a reservoir of mpox in the wild finally been solved? Some scientists think they have cracked the case, pinpointing the fire-footed rope squirrel as the culprit, but questions remain before we can definitively say this species is to blame. Reporter Chhavi Sachdev in Mumbai has some good news – an indigenous antibiotic breakthrough has been found to be effective at treating antibiotic resistant pneumonia. We hear what it takes to develop a new antibiotic and what makes Nafithromycin such a ground-breaking discovery. Also on the show, the biological mechanism that drives apathy and lack of motivation in late-stage cancer patients and how nature-based interventions, such as agroforestry, have unintended health benefits. Plus, have you ever wondered why humans can’t regenerate our teeth? We hear how some scientists are growing teeth in a lab to transform dental regeneration in the future. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett Studio Managers: Searle Whittney and Jackie Margerum

What would you do if you have always considered yourself healthy and one day you find out that not only is this not the case, but you in fact need a new organ? We follow BBC journalist Mike Powell on his journey to receive a life-changing kidney transplant and talk to his donor who made it all possible. With a growing global need for kidneys, we hear from others around the world that are on long transplant waiting lists and from Professor Elmi Muller who shares what we can do to reduce the wait time. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett Studio Managers: Jackie Margerum and Gwynfor Jones

‘Friendship benches’, a mental health intervention first piloted in Zimbabwe, are now being handed over to the government in that country. It is hoped that this will allow the program to become more widespread. Also on the show, a new device can convert brain signals to speach in nearly real time for those who have been paralysed, a medicine for rare genetic disorders could also make human blood deadly to mosquitos, and the US Food and Drug administration has approved a new first-in-class antibiotic for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett

What does it feel like to be part of a study which might have its funding cut? Marty Reiswig has a rare genetic mutation that means he will get Alzheimer’s disease in his forties or fifties. For fifteen years he’s been part of medical studies into his condition, but now, with the NIH announcing funding cuts, he’s worried the studies will stop. Also on the program, would you do CPR on another bystander? A new study finds that speed of response – not how trained you are – is what’s important. So how can we get more people doing this live-saving measure? And MRI imaging indicates that babies might actually be encoding memories. So why can’t we remember what it was like to be that young? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

A federal judge has said the shuttering of USAID is ‘likely unconstitutional’, while the Trump administration has been ordered to pay back bills for USAID. But what difference is this making on the ground? Global health journalist Andrew Green is in Uganda finding out. Also on the show, a new safety trial shows yearly injections of the drug lenacapivir may be able to prevent HIV transmission, and PCOS and endometriosis are two fairly common gynecological issues, but could they also lead to cardiovascular issues? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett

The Americas are in danger of losing their measles elimination status as the disease spreads due to under vaccination. Also on the show, a study finds that continuous glucose monitors may be overestimating blood sugar levels in healthy adults. And it’s been ten years since Brazil experienced and epidemic of microcephaly due to the Zika virus. What have we learned in that time? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

As the Trump administration cuts 90% of programs funded by the US Agency for International Development, we look at the effect on global health. Also on the program, violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo is hindering the country’s ongoing MPox response – just as a new, more transmissible strain is discovered. And, a look at an initiative trying to improve women’s mental health in Guatemala. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett

Encephalitis can be a debilitating condition, but many people have never even heard of it. A new global report looks at how we can improve diagnosis and treatment. Also on the program, new research seems to indicate that antidepressents might speed cognitive decline in dementia patients, but do they really? We take a closer look at some of the caveats. And a gene therapy for toddlers who have gone blind is showing some promise, we’ll look into what this could mean for future treatments. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

The global need for medical oxygen is high, but there are huge gaps in safe and affordable access. The first report of its kind identifies not only who is most vulnerable, but how the world can strengthen the supply of medical oxygen to improve public health and pandemic preparedness. We hear first-hand the impact of the USAID freeze on health clinicians in practice. And we learn how health systems are rebuilt after conflict, integrating resilience to protect them against future shocks. Also on the show, can weight-loss drugs curb alcohol addiction? Plus, scientists discover it is not just your tongue that can taste sweetness - sweet taste receptors have been found on the heart, and they could play a role in heartbeat regulation. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett

Do you look back on the past with rose-tinted spectacles, memories of the good old days accompanied by warm, fuzzy feelings? Or when you reflect on the past is it hard to do so without a tinge of sadness? Whether you fall on the more bitter or more sweet side, this is the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia. But nostalgia was not always just a feeling. Historian Agnes Arnold Forster tells Claudia and the panel that once it was viewed as a disease so deadly that it appeared on thousands of death certificates. And now this poignant emotion stirs political action, bonds us to others, and guides our very understanding of ourselves. Our expert panel of psychologists; Peter Olusoga, senior lecturer in psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, Daryl O’Connor, professor of psychology at the University of Leeds, and Catherine Loveday, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Westminster, join Claudia in the studio to discuss how leaning into nostalgia can help us feel better, reduce pain, and even inject a bit of romance into life. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett

As Guinea becomes the latest country to eliminate sleeping sickness, how close are we to defeating the disease completely? Also on the program, what does a massive shakeup at the US Agency for International Development mean for global health? And a new discovery is shedding a bit more light on a neural fossil in our ears. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett

What will President Trump’s order stopping work on foreign aid projects mean for global health? Also on the program, a new method for repairing heart muscles using stem cells shows promise, and do weight-loss drugs also stop the ‘food noise’ so many people hear? GP and medical journalist Graham Easton joins Claudia in studio to discuss. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins